Summer is a great time to explore cool problems to keep your skills sharp!  Schedule a class today!

G
Topic
First Poster
Last Poster
Connected, not n-colourable graph
mavropnevma   7
N May 31, 2025 by OutKast
Source: Tuymaada 2013, Day 1, Problem 4 Juniors and 3 Seniors
The vertices of a connected graph cannot be coloured with less than $n+1$ colours (so that adjacent vertices have different colours).
Prove that $\dfrac{n(n-1)}{2}$ edges can be removed from the graph so that it remains connected.

V. Dolnikov

EDIT. It is confirmed by the official solution that the graph is tacitly assumed to be finite.
7 replies
mavropnevma
Jul 20, 2013
OutKast
May 31, 2025
Infinite number of sets with an intersection property
Drytime   8
N May 31, 2025 by math90
Source: Romania TST 2013 Test 2 Problem 4
Let $k$ be a positive integer larger than $1$. Build an infinite set $\mathcal{A}$ of subsets of $\mathbb{N}$ having the following properties:

(a) any $k$ distinct sets of $\mathcal{A}$ have exactly one common element;
(b) any $k+1$ distinct sets of $\mathcal{A}$ have void intersection.
8 replies
Drytime
Apr 26, 2013
math90
May 31, 2025
Finding a subsquare from the main square
goodar2006   2
N May 30, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part 2-P4
Prove that if $n$ is large enough, in every $n\times n$ square that a natural number is written on each one of its cells, one can find a subsquare from the main square such that the sum of the numbers is this subsquare is divisible by $1391$.
2 replies
goodar2006
Sep 15, 2012
quantam13
May 30, 2025
Three sets having the same color
goodar2006   2
N May 30, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part 2-P3
Prove that if $n$ is large enough, then for each coloring of the subsets of the set $\{1,2,...,n\}$ with $1391$ colors, two non-empty disjoint subsets $A$ and $B$ exist such that $A$, $B$ and $A\cup B$ are of the same color.
2 replies
goodar2006
Sep 15, 2012
quantam13
May 30, 2025
1000 points with distinct pairwise distances
goodar2006   2
N May 30, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part1-P3
Prove that if $n$ is large enough, among any $n$ points of plane we can find $1000$ points such that these $1000$ points have pairwise distinct distances. Can you prove the assertion for $n^{\alpha}$ where $\alpha$ is a positive real number instead of $1000$?
2 replies
goodar2006
Jul 27, 2012
quantam13
May 30, 2025
Coloring points of a square, finding a monochromatic hexagon
goodar2006   6
N May 29, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part 2-P1
Prove that for each coloring of the points inside or on the boundary of a square with $1391$ colors, there exists a monochromatic regular hexagon.
6 replies
goodar2006
Sep 15, 2012
quantam13
May 29, 2025
Van der Warden Theorem!
goodar2006   7
N May 29, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part 2-P2
Suppose $W(k,2)$ is the smallest number such that if $n\ge W(k,2)$, for each coloring of the set $\{1,2,...,n\}$ with two colors there exists a monochromatic arithmetic progression of length $k$. Prove that


$W(k,2)=\Omega (2^{\frac{k}{2}})$.
7 replies
goodar2006
Sep 15, 2012
quantam13
May 29, 2025
Isosceles triangles among a group of points
goodar2006   2
N May 29, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part1-P2
Consider a set of $n$ points in plane. Prove that the number of isosceles triangles having their vertices among these $n$ points is $\mathcal O (n^{\frac{7}{3}})$. Find a configuration of $n$ points in plane such that the number of equilateral triangles with vertices among these $n$ points is $\Omega (n^2)$.
2 replies
goodar2006
Jul 27, 2012
quantam13
May 29, 2025
Points of a grid
goodar2006   2
N May 29, 2025 by quantam13
Source: Iran 3rd round 2012-Special Lesson exam-Part1-P4
Prove that from an $n\times n$ grid, one can find $\Omega (n^{\frac{5}{3}})$ points such that no four of them are vertices of a square with sides parallel to lines of the grid. Imagine yourself as Erdos (!) and guess what is the best exponent instead of $\frac{5}{3}$!
2 replies
goodar2006
Jul 27, 2012
quantam13
May 29, 2025
A second final attempt to make a combinatorics problem
JARP091   2
N May 29, 2025 by JARP091
Source: At the time of writing this problem I do not know the source if any
Arthur Morgan is playing a game.

He has $n$ eggs, each with a hardness value $k_1, k_2, \dots, k_n$, where $\{k_1, k_2, \dots, k_n\}$ is a permutation of the set $\{1, 2, \dots, n\}$. He is throwing the eggs from an $m$-floor building.

When the $i$-th egg is dropped from the $j$-th floor, its new hardness becomes
\[
\left\lfloor \frac{k_i}{j+1} \right\rfloor.
\]If $\left\lfloor \frac{k_i}{j+1} \right\rfloor = 0$, then the egg breaks and cannot be used again.

Arthur can drop each egg from a particular floor at most once.
For which values of $n$ and $m$ can Arthur always determine the correct ordering of the eggs according to their initial hardness values?
Note: The problem might be wrong or too easy
2 replies
JARP091
May 25, 2025
JARP091
May 29, 2025
a